Improved apparatus for generating illuminating-gas



UNrTED STATES PATENT ()F ICE.

DA1-nus DAvisoN, or NEW YORK, N. Y.4

IMPRVED APPARATUS FOR GENERATlNG ILLUMINATING-GAS.

Specireation4 forming part ofLetters Patent No. 99,860, dated February 15, 1870.

To all whom 'itmafl/ coucemr B0 it .kllOWll that I, DARIUS D VISON, 0f

the city, county, and State ofN ew York, have invented anewand useful Improvement in "Apparatus for Generating Illuminating-Gas from lHydrocarbon and other Liquids,'which L denominatel Davisons IlluminatingGas,` Generator; 7? `and I dohereby declare-thatthe .following is a full, clear, and exact description I of the same, reference being hadto the accompan'ying drawings, forming part of this speci-- Jication', and in whichr- Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of an apparatus for Agenerating illuminating-ges' yin. accordance with my improvement 5' Fig. 2,

a plan of thef urnace portion of thesamegand Fig. 3, a transverse section thereof, takenvas` indicated byftheline inFig.

'y 'Similar letters of reference 'indicate corresponding parts. .y

lMy improvement has referen". *o the genvices for perfecting theproduction of the gas under such process.

Referring to the-accom pauyin g drawings, A, B, C, and D are retorts made of tire-clay, iron,

" or other suitable material.

E is the firegrate of the furnace, Fl the hot; air chamber, andiG the smoke pipcor outlet thereto.'

The arrangement of the several retorts relatively to each other .and thefurnace is more clearly seen in Fig. 3. .The upperone,D, being.

a vaporizingretort, is of different ,construction to the others. f His a return-gas pipe to the right-hand out-4 side retort, A, and I an esoape-pipefor the gas from the apparatus, the same heingconnected with the left-hand outside retort, C, and leading to or establishing connection withv any suitably-arranged gasometer; or the same may connect vdirectly with the pipes leadingto the burners when the gas is to -be used with'- out the intcrention of a gasomctcr. A

J isal vapor-pipe connecting the one end of the vapori@ing-retort D with the one en`d of themiddle retort, B; andK is a pipe connect.- ing the two outside lower retorts, A and-0.1

L is a condensing-worm, arranged within a vessel that rests on a support,'M, and which contains Water or other .cooling-fluid; N, `a

.pipe connectingl the'endof the middle retort with the worm L, and Oa pipe to eceivet'be liquid of condensation from the gas pzissingv through the worm. v This last-mentioned pipe .is'made to connect the pibe leading to the worm with the pipe T, which leads from the .supply-tank P'to the vaporizing-retort D. The i tank P, which contains 'the hydrocarbon or 'gas-prod-ucin g liquid, is supported on a stand, Q, in such. manner as to be capable of being.,

raised or lowered by a screw, R, or other suitable device.

4Sis a stop-cock to let on or shut o the iiow `of liquid from the tank to the vaporizing-retort D. The pipe T, that connects the supplytank P with the vaporizing-retort D, is provided'with a horizontal check-valve, W, that isacted uponby a spring of suicient force to gently draw the valve to its seat, said valve opening in directionof the iiow from the sup# ply-tank to the vaporizing-retort. i

X is a jiioat arranged wit-hin the tank P, and carrying a valve that in the descent of Ithe float serves to opencolnmunication between an upper and lower chamber formed `by a diaphragm, Y, in said tank. V.

Z is au air-pipe connecting such upper and lower chambers, and servingto establish Van equilibriuml of pressures therein.

A is an air-valve to the upper chamber of the tank P. This valve, which opens inward and is held up toits seat by a spring, serves' to admit air tothe tank P'on any tendency/to theformation .of av vacuum therein by the. de- Y scent of the liquid in .its'supply of the vaporizing-retort.

A1B' is a capped filling `nozzle or aperture for supplying the .tank P--with the gas-produciug^ liquid.v

Uf and D. represent the liquid as it may he supposed to stand in the upper'and lower cham# hers ot' the tank, and E F"the air-spaces therein. The level ot the liquid in the pipe O is represented b v the dot/ted line G.

The three retorts A,'B, and G, which are preferably ot' vertical oblong form iu their transverse section andV are arranged side by side at. a suitable distance apart, are designed to be tilled throughout their entire lengths with wrought-iron tnrniugs orother like filling that .vill'take'up the lieat from the exterior of said retorts and l'orm an extcusively-diii'used aad equable heating-surface for or to the vapor as' it slowly permeates said filling, so as to convert the vapor into gas. Such filling to the lower ietorts is seen in Fig. 3 of thedraw= ings. These rl-torts A, B, and U it is proposed to heat to a temperature ot' about t0()O Fahrenheit, or what is technically known as acher ry red.v The upper or vaporizing-retort, D, which is shown as ot' a ditterent-shape-l-tlrat is, ot a spread bottom form-being farther removed from the tire, is heatedy to a lower temperature, but should be kept suiciently hot to freely vaporize the liquid owing into it in a thin film along its tlat or nearly level bottom.'

The pressure ot the vapor and gas iuithe apparatus during the operation of the latter is produced and controlled by the height ot' the surl'acc of the liquid in the lower chamber of the tank P above the level ot' the inside bot- .tom surface ot" the vaporizingretort D. By

raising and lowering the tank through means et' Ithe screw 'lt the pressure is Varied as required, while the doatX in thelower chamber ot` the tank operates to keep the supply of liquid in said lower chamber ata uniform height irrespective of/the head in the upper chamber. This gives regularity to the pressure after the tank has been adjusted up or down in setting the apparatus to work under any particular pressure. Thus when the surface ofthe liquid is lowered slightly in thelower chamber of the tank the oat X descends and opens the valve which itcarries. This induccsasupplyof liquid from the upper to thelowercham ber of' the tank till the original level has beenreachedin the latter chamber, when the rising ot' the oat closes said valve, that thus 'serves to equalize the head within the lower chamber. The airpipe Z and air-inlet valves A operate to perfect this action and insure a proper and steady flow of the liquid to the vaporizing-retort by establishing an equilibrium ot' atmospheric pressure between the upper and lower chambers of thetank, and by preventing the formation ot' a vacuum therein. The valve A being kept closed when the pressure of the'air exten.

nally and internally are equal, escape'is prevenlted of all volatile matter orvapor from the tan The arrows marked l indicate the course ot' the air into and through the tire and of the heated air and gases through the hot-air chamber in which are the retorts. The arrows marked 2 show the course of the liquid used in the apparatus from the tank and through the pipe or pipes leading to the vaporizer and through thepipeOfrom the condenser. The ar.. rows marked 3 indicate thecourseot' the vapor from the vaporiziug-retort into and through the lower middle retort, l, and into the condenser, from whence the uneondensed gas and vapor pass, as indicated bythe arrows 4, into the one lower side retort, through it, and by a connecting-pipe to and through the other lower side retort in a reverse direction. The vapor and gas thus generated from the lilm of liquid flowing into or alongthe bottom of the vaporizingretort D, after passing through the apparatus, as described, will finally issue therefrom as a dry, permanently and persistently uncondens able illuminating-gas of great purity and strength, all condensable matter having been removed l'roin it in its passage through the condenser, and such condensed matter heilig returned by the pipe 0 to mingle with the supply of liquid by the pipe T for passage again through the vaporlzing-retort, thus doing away with all loss.

The condenser and suppl y-tank may be placed in any convenient positions relatively to each.

other and to the furnace contain-i n g the retorts, provided they are placed at proper relative heights to each other and to the vaporizer to produce the same results or action in. the operation of the apparatus as hereiubefore'described, the supply ot' liquid to the vaporizer being eiected b'y gravity through the greater height of the tank or liquid in its lower chamber to that of the vaporizer. The liquid qproduced by condensation of the gas or vapor in the worm is also returned by gravity to the vaporizer, and willk stand in the pipe o at the height of the ilm in the vaporizer, or thereabout, as indicated by the dotted line G', said liquid mingling, as before observed, with the liquidin the supply-pipel, and passing through the apparatus again and again till all the liquid is ultimately converted into permanently dry illuminatinggas.

The horizontal check-valve W'operates to prevent any excess ot' back-pressure over what is required to balance the height of the liquid in the lower chamber ot" the tank P, and preventing such back-pressure from actingin the tank. v

In the operation of the apparatus the liquid flowing into the aporizing-retort spreads itself into a thin lilm or stream over the bottom thereof, and is rapidly converted into vapor, which llls the apparatus with vapor and gas at a pressure equal to the head of liquid as regulated by the height of the same in the lower chamber ot' the tank. A slight increase of such pressure checks the ow of the liquid and a slight decrease re-establishes the flow. Hence 4no very large quantity of the liquid can pass into the `vaporizing-retort at a time; but

the supply is gradual and proportioned to the pressure.

- This lapparatus may be used to convert crude i petroleum or any of the liquid-hydrocarbon products thereof into gas; or, as previously remarked, other hydrocarbon liquids or car- -e v aaso 3 bonaceous matter in a liquid state may be` worked in said apparatus.

What is here claimed, and desired to be se- 1. The combination, with the vaporizing-retort, of a liquid-supply tank made adjustable ingheight to vary the feed by gravity to said retort, substantially as specitied.

2. The tank P, divided into upper and lower primary gasproducing retort and return retort or retorts for the gas after its passage through the condenser, essentially asdescribed. 4. The combination'of the check-valve W with the vaporizing-retort D and supply-tank P, essentially as herein described.

5. The combination of the one flat or levely bottomed vaporizing-retort Dwith two or more gas-producing retorts, A B C, connected together for operation as described.

6. The arrangement for feeding theliquid to be converted into gas through the bottom ot" the vaporizing-retort atone end in a vertical direction upwardly by means of the pipe T, connectiugfthe ksame withtthe empty tank P, substantially as shown and described.

Witnesses: DARIUS DAVISON.

C. C. Goss, HENRY PALMER. 

